A Big Moment for Trade Politics in the United States and the EU

This is a big moment for trade politics in the world’s largest democracies. The events of the next few days could well determine whether the United States and the European Union find a new way to lead the international trade agenda, or instead turn inward in the face of growing distrust from their own populations. The European Parliament is set to vote June 10 on a set of negotiating objectives for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). And in the United States, the House of Representatives is moving towards a final vote on President Obama's request for Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which he needs to conclude both the TTIP and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deals. In this piece out today in Politico Europe, I argue that critics of the trade deals -- rather than walking away from the table -- should fight to make them better.